《美国文学》课件八.pptVIP

Lecture Eight New England Transcendentalism ;New England Transcendentalism; New England Transcendentalism is the summit of American Romanticism; it is regarded as the “American Renaissance” (1836—1855; not only one of the important signs of the independence of American literature but also a significant phrase in the history of American culture.;新英格兰红叶;1.The Formation of New England Transcendentalism In the 1830s and 1840s, great religious and ideological changes were taking place in New England; some sensitive New Englanders formed themselves into an informal club, the Transcendentalist Club, and met there to discuss literature, philosophy and matters of interest to the life of the nation. ;2 The representative writers of New England Transcendentalism The club included some thirty men and a couple of women, most of them teachers or clergymen; of these New England Transcendentalists, Emerson (1803-1882), Thoreau (1817—1862), Bronson Alcott (1799-1888), and Margaret Fuller (1810-1850) were the more famous.;3 The major ideas of New England Transcendentalism ① Spirit, or the Oversoul (超灵): most important thing in the universe; an all-pervading power for goodness, omnipresent and omnipotent; from which all things come and of which all are a part; exists in nature and man alike; constitutes the chief element of the universe. Comments:Its a new way of looking at the world, and a reaction to the 18th century Newtonian concept of the universe which holds that the universe is made up of matter. ;② The individual was the most important element of society; his self-culture (修养), self-improvement and self-perfection should become the first concern of his life; the ideal type of man is the self-reliant individual; people should depend on themselves for spiritual perfection; the individual soul communed with the Oversoul and is therefore divine. Comments: Its a new way of looking at man, and a reaction against the Calvinist concept that man is totally depraved,